Greatest Shortstops (The Donald Honig Best Players of All Time Series) - Hardcover

Who were the greatest shortstops who ever played the game? Which were the best hitters, the quickest in the field? Which shortstops were the steadiest performers over the years, which the most acrobatic?
Due to the vast range the shortstop must cover and because of his pivot role in the double play, the shortstop requires quick reactions and unerring instincts, superior footspeed, and a powerful and accurate throwing arm with a quick release. It is no wonder that shortstop is considered by many baseball observers to be the most critical - and difficult to play - defensive position on the ball field.
Donald Honig, the dean of baseball writers with over 35 books on the national pastime to his credit, including The Greatest Pitchers of All Time, The Greatest First Basemen of All Time, and The Greatest Catchers of All Time, continues his one-of-a-kind pictorial series by selecting the sixteen greatest shortstops who ever played the game. Looking for a balance of offensive production and defensive wizardry, some of Honig's selections may prove controversial. Is this the "Era of the Shortstop," in the "Age of Defense?" Four of Honig's selections at shortstop are currently active. And why were Hall of Famers Joe Tinker, Dave Bancroft, Joe Sewell, and Bobby Wallace not included in the top sixteen?
Honig provides a dazzling array of anecdotes, complete lifetime records, 80 fabulous photos spanning the century, and revealing quotes to establish historical perspective and explain his selections. Some of the players presented in these biographical essays are well-known, others unjustly overlooked. And to make sure the runners-up are not forgotten, Honig has added profiles of seventeen greats who just missed making the cut.
The Greatest Shortstops of All Time is a book for baseball fans of all ages and levels of baseball interest.